July 17 2018

Jul 17, 2018
Master Huijing’s Dharma Words about Faith in Pure Land
淨土信仰

Venerable Master Honen of Japan revered only Master Shandao.  He skillfully composed four gatha or verses, each with four sentences in five characters, to reveal Master Shandao’s Pure Land teachings thoroughly and perfectly. These verses bear a rightful way of “threefold selection”, and hence called “the Article of Three Selections” in later ages. This article makes prominent four Chinese characters – 'ge' or putting aside, 'pao' or throwing away, 'bang' or by side of, and 'zhuan' or concentrated, and is considered as a “pithy formula of Pure Land school”. The article is as follows:

Between the two kinds of splendid paths that expedite the liberation from the cycle of birth-and-death, [it is recommended that one should] put aside the Sagely Path, and choose the Pure Land Path.

Between the two kinds of practices – the main practices and the mixed practices, and in order to enter the Pure Land Path, [it is recommended that one should] throw away the mixed practices, and choose the main practices.

Between the two kinds of main practices – the principal karma and the supportive karma, and in order to cultivate the main practices, [it is recommended that one should] take the supportive karma as the secondary practices, and choose the principal karma as primary practice for assured rebirth.

Amitabha-recitation is the principal karma of assured rebirth, as it accords with Amitabha’s Fundamental Vow: rebirth is assured through exclusive practice of Amitabha-recitation.

It clearly indicates the meaning of the threefold selection, that is, between the two paths, the two practices and the two karma, we should put aside the Sagely Path, and select the Pure Land Path, throw away the mixed practices, and select the main practices, take the supportive karma as the secondary (or side) practices, and select the principal karma as primary (or concentrated) practice for assured rebirth. In simple words, select the Pure Land path, select the main practice and select the principal karma of assurance.

日本高僧法然上人獨尊善導大師，將大師之淨宗思想，巧以四首五言四句之偈語徹底圓彰，此偈妙含「三重選擇」之義，後世稱為「三選文」，此三選文所獨舉之「擱、拋、傍、專」四字，可謂「淨宗口訣」。其文如下：

欲速離生死，二種勝法中，且擱聖道門，選入淨土門；
欲入淨土門，正雜二行中，且拋諸雜行，選應歸正行；
欲修於正行，正助二業中，猶傍於助業，選應專正定；
正定之業者，即是稱佛名，稱名必得生，依佛本願故。

此文明示三重選擇之義，亦即於「二門、二行、二業」之中，「擱聖道、選淨土；拋雜行、選正行；傍助業，選正業」，簡言之即是「選淨土、選正行、選正業」。

Namo Amitabha!